Page 80 of Eleanor & Grey
“The bathroom.” Her eyes narrowed. “Why are you about to go in there? Are you stupid? Can you not read?”
“Don’t call me stupid,” I scolded, sounding more grown up than I actually was. “Your father wants you in his office.”
“Yeah? Well, I’m busy.” She walked over to her desk and went to reach for her headphones to drown me out, but I grabbed them before she could.
“No, you’re not. Now get going to your father’s office.”
“Why?”
“Because we know.”
“Know what?”
“Youknowwhat weknow,” I stated, narrowing my eyes as I waved a finger at her.
She cocked her eyebrow. “Or I don’t.”
My hands landed against my hips. “Karla, come on. You can drop the act.”
“Listen, I don’t know what you’re talking about, and I’m getting sick of this roundabout accusation stuff, so either spit it out or leave my room.”
“You haven’t been to school in weeks, Karla,” Greyson growled, appearing behind me. His eyes were filled with anger, and his chest rose and fell harder each time he took a breath. “That’s what she’s talking about. That’s what we need to discuss.”
He was pissed off, with good reason.
The second the real parent walked into the room, I felt as if I were out of place. I was, after all, just the nanny. For the most part, Lorelai was my main duty.
“I’ll take it from here, Eleanor,” Greyson told me, placing his hand on the doorknob and stepping back a few steps to make a pathway for my exit.
I took a deep breath and looked toward Karla, who looked both nervous and almost... happy? She seemed pleased with the way she was pushing her father’s buttons.
Then I turned on my heels and left the room. Greyson closed the door behind me.
Within seconds, the shouting began. The hollering match between those two made me equal parts uneasy and glad.
Even though they were fighting, I was witnessing Greyson doing something I hadn’t been aware he still knew how to do—parent his children. Seeing him engaging with Karla, being so angry, demonstrated that somewhere inside his cold, numb heart, he still cared so much. Somewhere within him, he was still concerned.
That had to stand for something.
I left that night before the yelling came to a halt. It wasn’t my right to listen to Karla and Greyson exchange words that were filled with exhaustion and pain. It was clear that they were both hurting, but the only way they could seem to ease their hurts was by shouting at each other.
33Eleanor
I woke up the next morning curious about what had gone down between Karla and Greyson. I couldn’t help but wonder where Karla was going each day, what she was doing, and how it had slipped past both Greyson and me.
When I headed over to Greyson’s house, he was already standing on his front porch with a cup of coffee sitting on the railing. He didn’t seem as angry as he’d been the previous night, and I thought maybe sleep had helped him calm down. He did appear eerily calm, though.
It was freezing outside, and all he wore was a black, long-sleeved button-down shirt and a pair of slacks. How was he not an ice cube?
“Eleanor,” he said, his voice tame.
I cringed a little, almost positive I knew what was coming next. “Let me guess...” I sighed, pulling my purse higher on my shoulder. “You’re firing me. I get it. I made a huge mistake. I just have a few things of mine in the house. Then I’ll pack up my things at the guesthouse and be out of your hair in a few minutes.” I started walking past him and was taken aback as his hand landed on my forearm, stopping me.
My eyes drifted to his touch, and his gaze did the same thing before we looked up at each other. It felt as if a bolt of electricity shot throughout my entire body, leaving nothing but chills.
Oh. What was that?
I wondered if he felt them too.
